Matins Devotion: September 6, 2024

2 Kings 4:8-22, 32-37

Like all the prophets, Elisha is a type of Christ. When God speaks through him, when God performs miracles through him, God is showing his people an increasingly clearer image of the Savior, His only begotten Son who will declare God’s speak God’s ultimate word of healing in His death and resurrection and who will perform the greatest miracle of all–giving man victory over the grave and peace with God. So in the story of Elisha and the Shunammite’s son, Elisha represents Christ and the boy represents you.

When you were conceived and born in sin, you were not a mere statistic to your God, not a mere drop in an ocean of sinners in his eyes. No, you were even more precious to Him than the only son of this Shunammite woman was to her. As much as her heart broke, God’s heart broke more. And so, out of love for you, God did what was promised in the work of Elisha. He sent His Son who came to you in your lifeless state and gave you life. Jesus placed His mouth upon yours and breathed life into you with His final breath. He stretched out His nail-pierced hands upon yours and filled your hands with the love of God. In His resurrection, He placed His eyes upon yours, and gave you the right to open your eyes again, to open them on the last day when He will restore the warmth to your flesh and bring you into His kingdom of eternal paradise. 

So as you sleep, as you struggle, as you suffer in this life of sorrows, remember that your Savior, your Victor has already stretched Himself upon you in the waters of your baptism. The day is coming when you will breathe the air of eternal life and when you will see the greater Elisha face to face.